Improvement in toy pistols



UNITED VSTATESv PATENT OFFICE.,

BARTLEY KIRKBRIDE, OFA MORGANVILLE, OHIO.

IMPRovEMENT .iN Tov PisToLs.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 194,690, dated August 28, 1877; application tiled July 14, 1ere.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BARTLEY KIRKBRIDE, of Morganville, in the county of Morgan and State of Ohio', have invented a new and valuablelmprovement in Marble-Shooters; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a force a4 projectile out of the barrel.

The nature of the invention will be fully understood from the following description, and set forth in the claim.l

In the annexed drawings, the letter A designates the stock, and B the barrel, having therein a longitudinal groove, a. G represents the projector, having' an enlarged head, a', between which and the bottom ofthe bore is a helical spring, S. This is applied upon the plunger O in the the usual manner. Ihe head a! is vertically slotted, and in this aperture is seated a ratcheted plate, b, the serrated edge of which extends down into the groove a aforesaid. Plate b is preferably made of metal.

D indicates the trigger, formed of any suitable material and of angular form. It is arranged and pivoted at c in a deep recess, d, upon the under side of the barrel, and is provided at its weight end with a detachable (preferably metallic) tooth, c, that projects upward through a slot, s, in the partition Z, between the groove a and recess d, into the hollow of the barrel, it being maintained in this position by means of a strong metallic spring, s', secured at the heel of the recess d, and throwing the power end of the trigger upward.

The plunger C projects through the breech of the barrel, and is provided with a handle or knob, f, by means of which it is drawn back. When the said plunger is drawn back the inclined face of the rear tooth t of the ratchet b comes in contact with the correspondingly-beveled face ofthe trigger-tooth c, and thrusts it back out of slot s, and passes the said tooth. This being accomplished, the said tooth engages the tooth tot' the ratchet through the recoil of the spring s. The projectile E is then introduced and forced lhome against the end of the plunger by a suitable raminer.

J represents a inetallic strip-spring, the ends of which are rigidly secured to the inside of the barrel, and which is located at or at about the ball-seat in said barrel, and prevents the projectile from falling out of the barrel.

Upon tiring the pistol at a mark, should the projectile fall short, the plunger is forced back until the second tooth 'il of the ratchet engages the trigger-tooth, thereby increasing the compression of the spring S, and, consequently, the range of the weapon'.

It wil-l be evident that the number of teeth of the ratchet plate b is only limited by the degree of compressibility of which the spring S is susceptible.

The said plate being of metal, as well as the trigger-tooth, and these parts being little aected by friction, they will always be in condition to engage the one with the other.

What I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The marble-shooter consisting of the pistolshaped body, having below its barrel a groove,- a, divided from the trigger-recess d by a partition, Z, plunger C, having a serrated plate, b, playing in said groove, springs S and s', and trigger D seated in said recess d, and having its tooth e arranged for direct engagement with said serrated plate, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

BAETLEY KIEKBEIDE.

Witnesses:

W. H. PIEEPOINT, WILLIAM FoULKE. 

